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In his speech, Finch said people in the city have pushed through some of the most difficult economic, educational, and environmental challenges Connecticut has ever faced and, together, emerged stronger as a community.
“I'm proud to say that the State of the City is strong and getting stronger every day. We're on the right track. This city is on its way up," he said. “For example, today you can stand on the white sand of a reopened, revitalized Pleasure Beach and look out onto Steel Point where development is finally happening.”
Finch also walked through major examples of the city’s progress, including the development of Steelpointe Harbor, the reopening of Pleasure Beach, the historic reduction in crime in the city and investments in prek education.
“As the chief executive of our city, I’m focused on making smart investments for the future,” Finch said. He some highlights of Finch’s address:
- Creating jobs and growing the economy: “After decades of broken promises, construction is finally happening at Steel Point. Starbucks, Bass Pro Shops, and Chipotle are all slated to open this fall. Once complete, the 52-acre peninsula and surrounding properties on Long Island Sound will be home to 1,400 apartments, retail, hotels, a grocery store, and more. It will create thousands of jobs while adding tens of millions of dollars to our tax rolls.”
- Creating green jobs and producing clean energy: “That’s why I set out to develop the Eco-Technology Park in Bridgeport’s long-neglected West Side. It’s all about encouraging green businesses to come here, thrive here, grow here, and most importantly, put more and more Bridgeporters to work here.
- Creating green energy: “We’re home to North America’s largest fuel cell, which powers 15,000 homes with clean energy. We’ll soon be home to thousands of solar panels and another fuel cell atop an old and unused landfill. This project alone will power an additional 5,000 homes with clean energy, helping to reduce asthma rates, and bringing millions of dollars in revenue for our city.”
- Preparing kids to compete for jobs of tomorrow: “Over the past year, we've added more than 360 new pre-k seats in Bridgeport. That's more than any other city in Connecticut. With these new seats, we're giving more than 3,800 Bridgeport kids a fair shot at a better future. ... Soon, Bridgeport will become the first city in Connecticut to offer universal pre-k.”
- New parks: “We're also building new parks across the Park City. One of these is Knowlton Park. ... The new park serves as a catalyst for a nicer community, thriving businesses, higher quality of life in the neighborhood, and giving hardworking Bridgeporters long overdue access to the waterfront.”
- Keeping kids and families safe: “Our city is seeing its lowest crime rates in nearly a half-century. We’ve experienced a more significant drop in crime than any other city in New England. And, crime continues to decline.”
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